By
Lindsey Manroel
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Women's head coach heads first-ever professional tour
As if guiding the women's tennis program was not a tough enough job, UA head coach Brad Dancer is taking on an additional task - program director to the first-ever professional tournament at UA's Robson Tennis Center.
With the 32-player main draw starting this morning, the Cigna Healthcare $50,000 Challenger is making its final stop of the United States Tennis Association tour today on the Wildcat's home courts.
Dancer - who has just completed the second fall season as UA's head women's tennis coach - has been aggressively pursuing the opportunity for his players and fans to be able to both participate in and watch professional tennis in Tucson.
"Since the first day I got the job, I knew that I wanted to host a professional tournament," Dancer said in a press release. "I called the USTA and they told me that we would have a good chance of hosting the tournament in 2001."
That goal has been met.
Dancer is the first coach at the Division I level to head a professional event after only one year of coaching.
"He is very aggressive," Total Racket Enterprise president Eric Fellows said. "Dancer's goal is to attract world-class players to his program. It's amazing to have a tournament of this caliber after only one year of coaching."
USTA tournaments - which have showcased the play of such tennis players as Lindsay Davenport, Mary Pierce and Anna Kournikova - will serve as a good opportunity for a few Wildcats who have earned seedings in the event.
Senior Michelle Gough, UA's No. 1 player, has earned a seed in the main draw. Gough, will play freshman Ansley Cargill - the No. 1 player from Duke University.
Cargill, currently ranked No. 257 in the world, took home the singles title at the ITA All-American tournament in October.
Arizona's doubles team of junior Lindsay Blau and Gough will also be featured in the tournament. Although they are up against some of the best tennis players in the world, Blau is excited about the opportunity her doubles team has been given.
"It's going to be fun," Blau said. "There are only a few times that we get to play against people better than us. I don't think there's any pressure. They've got the labels of professionals on them."
Those competing in the main draw - which includes No. 84 Alina Jidkova of Russia as well as three Olympians - will be competing for prize money and the opportunity to improve on their world rankings.
